Note: This story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here.
Here we go then, the first semifinal of this year’s World Cup is upon us and it’s a true clash of heavyweights – world No. 1 France up against world No. 3 Spain.
It’s a tie that many had predicted before a ball was even kicked in North America and one that is finely balanced.
France is just about the favorite today given its superior form this summer, but Spain has beaten Les Bleus on the last two occasions at knockout tournaments so will feel confident heading into the tie.
We’ll have everything you need to know about this World Cup semifinal, starting with Spain’s not-so-secret weapon.
